The UNICEF representation in the Central African Republic has just published their monthly report for June 2008. It contains an excellent overview on the current humanitarian, political and security situation, as well as a description of UNICEF’s projects in CAR.

Here is the summary:

• CAR is placed on the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission’s agenda
• Peace agreement signed between the CAR government, APRD and UFDR
• The UN Fund grants UNICEF US$5.8million to purchase 740,000 mosquito nets
• UNICEF signs new agreements with COOPI, IMC, IPHD, IRC and Merlin
• Mass vaccination campaign against Yellow Fever is held in northwestern CAR
• International Day of the African Child is celebrated
• The construction of 404 latrines is completed in northern CAR
• Current UNICEF appeal funded at just 29%

Click here to download the report (PDF - 1.2MB)

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Radhika Coomaraswamy, Secretary General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflicts concluded on Saturday a six-day mission to assess the conflict’s impact on children in CAR and Chad.

After a two day visit to Chad, Radhika Coomaraswamy came to CAR to meet young victims of abduction, and rebels suspected of recruiting child soldiers. She met with women communities, internally displaced people (IDPs), and victims of the conflict and of coupeurs de routes (Zaraguinas). Among the victimes, the SRSG met a young girl abducted by Coupeurs de Route two years ago in a neighbouring village. She was only liberated in March this year, when the Government forces attacked the bandits’ camp in Bilakaré, between Paoua, Bokaranga and Bozoum. By that time, her parents had fled violence, probably to Cameroun and she is now living with her displaced grandmother in Paoua.

However, despite the remaining insecurity, improvements have been achieved through the peace agreements signed between the Government and the Movement of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR) last year and with the Popular Army for Unity and Democracy (APRD) last month. Continue Reading »

Massive sexual crimes in Central African Republic will not go unpunished

(ICC): Jean-Pierre Bemba, charged by the ICC for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Central African Republic, was arrested on 24 May in the suburbs of Brussels, Belgium.

Mr. Bemba is chairman of the Mouvement de Libération du Congo (MLC), an armed group which intervened in the 2002-2003 armed conflict in Central African Republic (CAR) and pursued a plan of terrorizing and brutalizing innocent civilians, in particular during a campaign of massive rapes and looting. Mr Bemba had already used the same tactics in the past, in CAR, in the DRC, always leaving a trail of death and destruction behind him.

He is the first person arrested in the context of the ICC investigation in CAR which was opened by Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo in May 2007. Further investigation are proceeding. Continue Reading »

HDPT’s Info Bulletin no 46 (February 4 - February 11, 2008) is out - with detailed information on current humanitarian and development activities in the Central African Republic. It contains a current overview on the most important developments and news from within and about CAR. Continue Reading »

Professor Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions visited the Central African Republic to inquire into extra-judicial executions in the recent past.

In his preliminary report, he states that “Up until very recently Government forces were burning entire villages to the ground and summarily executing large numbers of people. As of today, these abuses have fallen dramatically. But while President Bozizé has shown that he has the power to prevent the military from committing human rights abuses, it is still too early to conclude that the Government has definitively turned a new page.” A final, detailed report will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June. We are posting his full statement below. Continue Reading »

Amnesty International reports on the human rights abuses of “Zaraguinas”, road bandits operating in the north-west of CAR.

According to the report, they target mostly civilians, who already suffer from fighting between government and rebels troops in the area, and spread terror with kidnappings, rape and pillaging. The government is unable to protect the population. “Zaraguinas are often better equipped with automatic weapons and have better knowledge of the terrain than government forces”, mentions Amnesty’s Africa Programme Director.

Click here to read the AI report on the Zaraguinas

Amnesty International published a new report on the human rights situation in the Central African Republic, documenting abuses by government troops, rebels and bandits, particularly in the north of the country.

The report concludes that if “the current turmoil in northern CAR continues unchecked for much longer, instability and violence will worsen in the country. The victims will largely be the civilians of the CAR, but their plight will have a direct and adverse impact on the human rights situation in other central African countries, especially but not limited to the Sudan, Chad and Cameroon, which have common borders with the CAR. [...]

A total collapse of law and order in northern CAR would have a devastating effect on regional peace, security and human rights. Hence, the CAR government must do its utmost to protect its people. Given the government’s limited capacity, expertise and resources, governments and intergovernmental organizations must help protect the people of the CAR.”

Click here to read the full AI report on CAR

The Human Rights Watch team that visited the Central African Republic in February and March this year has now released their comprehensive assessment of the human rights situation in the country.

The report “documents the human rights abuses and breaches of international humanitarian law being committed in northern CAR and describes the make-up, origins, and aims of the most significant rebel groups. The Popular Army for the Restoration of the Republic and Democracy (Armée populaire pour la restauration de la République et la démocratie, APRD) is active in the northwestern provinces of Ouham, Ouham-Pendé, and Nana-Grébizi. The Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (Union des forces démocratiques pour la rassemblement, UFDR) is most active in remote northeastern provinces of Bamingui-Bangoran and Vakaga.” Human rights abuses committed by the FACA and the Presidential Guard are reported in detail.

Click here to access the Human Rights Watch report

Click here to access the US State Department’s 2006 Human Rights Report for CAR

REUTERS has produced a video feature on the International Human Rights Film Festival in Bangui. The festival was organized by the Alliance Ciné and supported by UNDP. More than 15,000 people came to see 10 different movies on human rights issues.

Click here to see the video

(AI, New York) - Amnesty International warned today that hundreds of thousands of civilians are at risk in the Central African Republic (CAR), where armed conflict and lawlessness are spiraling, while the world largely ignores the rampant violence.

“As attention remains focused on Darfur and eastern Chad, armed conflict and lawlessness in northern Central African Republic are spiraling, virtually unnoticed by the international community,” said Godfrey Byaruhanga, an Amnesty International researcher who recently returned from southern Chad and the CAR.

“The northern areas in particular have become a free-for-all — a hunting ground for the region’s various armed opposition forces, government troops, and even armed bandits — some of whom come from as far away as West Africa to kidnap and loot in local villages.”

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Voice of America has a story on the Human Rights Film Festival in Bangui that just ended. It was organized by Alliance Ciné and also supported by UNDP. About 15,000 people came to see 10 different movies during the one week festival.

If you are interested in the human rights situation in the Central African Republic, then you could use the recent US State Department’s Country Report on Human Rights Practices in the Central African Republic to start your research.